#CSR conference season! this week: #BCConf12

Why do all CSR conferences happen right around spring break? This week it's the Boston College conference in Phoenix. Next week it's the Charities @Work conference in New York.

I'm disappointed I'll miss BCLC's conference in Atlanta, but that starts the day after I get back from a 10 day vacation in Nepal. After a week in Vegas for work, then I have to spend a week in Charlotte for work which means I'll miss United Way's CLC in Nashville the first week of May.

It's a crazy travel time, especially since they all fall in or around National Volunteer Week, Earth Day, National Workplace Wellness Week, Teach Children to Save month, and, it seems, a host of other corporate citizenship initiatives and activities. (Some, like BSR's conference, the Points of Light conference, and the Public Affairs Council's corporate citizenship conference, come later in the year.)

I actually enjoy all these conferences. I see lots of colleagues I have grown to like very much (turns out people who care about corporate citizenship tend to be really nice, creative, fun, compassionate, interesting people), and I meet lots of new ones every year as well. But it can be exhausting.

This year I'll actually be speaking at the Charities @Work conference in New York (see my recent CSR Wire blog post). And recently my workplace giving campaign was named #1 in the country by United Way for the third year in a row. Plus I received a nice award from CHC California. So it's a good year already.

If any of you will be at BC or C@W, look for me and say hi. The best part about the job (apart from bringing out millions of dollars and thousands of volunteers to help people in need) is meeting colleagues from other companies, places, and backgrounds. Maybe I'll see you at tonight's dinner.

I hate flying on Sundays for work. But if I have to, this conference is a good place to land.

(This is a photo of me, on the left, receiving the award from CHC California in the Wells Fargo boardroom at a reception on March 7th. Macy's and UC San Francisco were also honored that night.)